Start growing
Requires very wet, acidic conditions. Can be grown in containers with peat/sand mix.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Cranberry care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Vaccinium macrocarpon
- Common names
- Large Cranberry
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Vaccinium
- Species
- V. macrocarpon
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® Greenhouse mimics the humid, boggy environment these seeds love.
Propagation
By seed, cuttings, or runners.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Harvested in the fall; pink flowers appear in early summer.
Growing conditions
Bogs, fens, and swampy wetlands with acidic peat soil.
Weather & tolerances
Highly cold tolerant and flood tolerant.
Pests & plant health
Cranberry fruitworm and Scale insects.
Plant safety
Safe; very tart when raw.
Botanical features
A low-growing, evergreen trailing vine. Produces tart red berries that float in water.
Varieties
‘Stevens’, ‘Early Black’.
Garden & everyday uses
Sauces, juices, and dried fruits. High in Vitamin C and UTI-preventing compounds
Native range & distribution
Native to Eastern North America.
Conservation
Secure commercially.
Name origins
From 'Crane-berry', as the flowers resemble the head and neck of a sandhill crane.
History
Indigenous Americans used cranberries for food, fabric dye, and as a healing poultice.